Description
This project aims to preserve Jewish cultural heritage in the Czech Republic by restoration of the largest cemetery in the country - New Jewish Cemetery in Prague. The cemetery was founded in 1890 and with more than 27,000 tombstones it is an extremely important element of the history of Prague's Jewish community. As a result of hostile social conditions toward Jewish monuments up until 1990, only minimal maintenance was carried out, funeral buildings fell into disrepair and many tombstones spontaneously uprooted, fell to the ground, some of them were broken. The poor condition was worsened by repeated vandalism and theft. Valuable art details and architectural elements gradually began to wear off. The most pressing problem that harms the monument as a whole today is mainly the progressively deteriorating condition of the static stability of gravestones and tombs. Many of them, due to the effects of erosion influences or simply outliving the original foundation structure are gradually collapsing. These collapses are causing irreversible damage to the mass graves and their individual parts, both to those falling, and to those in the surroundings, previously undamaged. The unstable gravestones are also a serious danger to visitors to the cemetery and its employees. The main aim of this project is to quickly provide stabilization works of 480 leaning gravestones or lifting up collapsed ones and to provide repair and restoration of 3 family tombs, to avoid decline and destruction of arts and crafts components and their original authenticity.
Summary of project results
In keeping with the Jewish tradition to honor the dead, the project included rehabilitation efforts to restore dignity and respect to dilapidated Jewish cemetery and its distressed burial grounds. A cemetery is a place where the past is literally buried, but it is also a place which can help breathe new life into this past. The project helped raising public awareness of the urgent need to restore and preserve the valuable cultural monument of the Jewish community including significant art details and architectural elements. Restoring the interior of the cemetery by cleaning the grounds, re-erecting and restoring 480 gravestones and 3 tombs helped to restore the honor to the deceased and simultaneously to preserve the genealogical information contained in the cemetery as restored epitaphs represent important records about the history of Prague Jewish community. Educational visits have been taking place and are scheduled to continue. The restored site is, therefore, a valuable addition to Prague places of interest.
Summary of bilateral results